THE FIGURE OF THE WEEK. The United States, China and France together represent 60% of total world production. At the end of 2024, 62 nuclear reactors were under construction in fifteen countries.
According to the latest data established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), global operational nuclear power amounted to 377 GWe (gigawatts of electricity) at the end of December 2024. It was provided by 417 reactors distributed in 31 countries.
The three main producers of nuclear electricity are the United States, China and France respectively, with a combined share reaching 60%. The United States, which has the largest nuclear fleet in the world (94 reactors), alone represents 30% of total nuclear electricity production. With 57 reactors, China’s share rises to 16%, while that of France (also 57 reactors), the country in the world where the proportion of nuclear power in the electricity mix is the greatest (67.3%), reaches 14%.
In terms of the number of nuclear reactors in service, Russia ranks fourth in the world (36), ahead of South Korea (26), India (20), Canada (17) and Ukraine (15).
An aging nuclear fleet
Over the past decade, 72 nuclear reactors have been commissioned worldwide, with just over three-quarters (76%) in Asia. China has been the main driver of this growth, with 38 reactors connected to the grid since 2014.
More than two thirds (67%) of the world’s operating nuclear reactor capacity (298 reactors) is over thirty years old, while 35% (168 reactors) are over forty years old. According to the IAEA, « the aging of the nuclear fleet underlines the need for new or enhanced nuclear capabilities to compensate for planned decommissioning and to contribute to sustainable development, global energy security and the achievement of climate change objectives.”
At the end of December 2024, 62 nuclear reactors were under construction in fifteen countries, including 28 in China, or a share of 45%. Next come India (7 reactors under construction), Russia, Turkey and Egypt (4 each).
